Tourism officials said about $500 million will be spent in the Crescent City from the Sugar Bowl until the Bowl Championship Series on Jan. 9.Officials said the city needs the money after it had a lackluster November in the hotel and restaurant industry.Several Michigan and Virginia Tech fans were already flocking to the French Quarter on Monday night before squaring off on the gridiron at the Superdome on Tuesday.Bowl fans Lance Loca, of Indian River, Det., Dave Lohr of Richmond, Va. and Ann Arbor, of Michigan, said they were having a blast at the game."It's awesome. It's absolutely a great city for a bowl game," Lohr said.Fans Irene Leech and her husband said they wouldn't miss the game for anything."I'm a third generation Hokie. I have three degrees from there. I work there, too," Leech said.The couple said they've only missed one bowl game since the 1980s."Our first experience was the Texas game in '95, where nobody knew who we were. They didn't fill the stadium. They were practically giving tickets away as we walked in," Leech said.Leech said one of the reasons why she and her husband love coming to the games is that they run into people all the time. "You're constantly seeing fans and that's what makes this one so special," said Leech.At a Hokies radio program, the athletic director said only 15,000 of their 17,000 allotted tickets had been sold, but tourism officials said it won't hurt the Crescent City in the long run."Between Sugar Bowl and BCS, a 10-day period, we're talking half a billion dollars in economic impact for the City of New Orleans. It's a great place to have these kind of events, because once you're downtown or in the French Quarter, you really can walk about anywhere," said Mark Romig, of the New Orleans Marketing Corporation.Patrick Gasso, a Michigan fan, said "Unfortunately we're staying at a Virginia Tech hotel, but we've been walking around the city and seeing a lot of Michigan fans. I love it."

NEW ORLEANS —

Tourism officials said about $500 million will be spent in the Crescent City from the Sugar Bowl until the Bowl Championship Series on Jan. 9.

Officials said the city needs the money after it had a lackluster November in the hotel and restaurant industry.

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Several Michigan and Virginia Tech fans were already flocking to the French Quarter on Monday night before squaring off on the gridiron at the Superdome on Tuesday.

Bowl fans Lance Loca, of Indian River, Det., Dave Lohr of Richmond, Va. and Ann Arbor, of Michigan, said they were having a blast at the game.

"It's awesome. It's absolutely a great city for a bowl game," Lohr said.

Fans Irene Leech and her husband said they wouldn't miss the game for anything.

"I'm a third generation Hokie. I have three degrees from there. I work there, too," Leech said.

The couple said they've only missed one bowl game since the 1980s.

"Our first experience was the Texas game in '95, where nobody knew who we were. They didn't fill the stadium. They were practically giving tickets away as we walked in," Leech said.

Leech said one of the reasons why she and her husband love coming to the games is that they run into people all the time. "You're constantly seeing fans and that's what makes this one so special," said Leech.

At a Hokies radio program, the athletic director said only 15,000 of their 17,000 allotted tickets had been sold, but tourism officials said it won't hurt the Crescent City in the long run.

"Between Sugar Bowl and BCS, a 10-day period, we're talking half a billion dollars in economic impact for the City of New Orleans. It's a great place to have these kind of events, because once you're downtown or in the French Quarter, you really can walk about anywhere," said Mark Romig, of the New Orleans Marketing Corporation.

Patrick Gasso, a Michigan fan, said "Unfortunately we're staying at a Virginia Tech hotel, but we've been walking around the city and seeing a lot of Michigan fans. I love it."